The University of Alabama at Birmingham received more than $715 million in research grants for the 12-month period ending September 30, 2022, up $67.8 million from the previous year, a 10.5 percent increase for the year and a nearly 50 percent increase during the past five years.
For FY 2022, UAB ranks among the top five percent of U.S. universities, based on all federal research and development expenditures, and in the top one percent of all public, private and international organizations funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Some of that results from an increasingly diversified portfolio. For example, UAB’s $388 million funding from the National Institutes of Health is substantial, and this year represents 54 percent of overall awards while just four years ago, it represented 60 percent. This is due to growth in other funding sectors since that time.
“UAB is experiencing growth in other sectors, and that is what we want,” said Christopher Brown, PhD, vice president for Research. Since 2018, awards from nonprofits and foundations have increased 48 percent to $53.5 million, National Science Foundation funding has increased 29 percent to $11.5 million, and support from the CDC has increased by 152 percent and is now over $20 million.
Other growth areas include industry and clinical trials. Total industry awards, which include grants, funded trials and services, more than doubled (106 percent) since 2018 to exceed $150 million in 2022. Specifically, overall clinical trial expenditures exceeded $105 million for the first time.
“An important part of our research is translating discoveries and advancements into real-world applications,” Brown said. “The Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship helps translate research into an economic benefit by shepherding patents, licensing, spin-offs and startups that, in turn, benefit our research enterprise because those services attract and benefit faculty.”
In FY 2022, intellectual property disclosures managed by HIIE reached 106. Eight patents were issued, 39 licenses were executed, four startups were launched, and $5.6 million in revenue was generated.